the Jess Journals

Happy Friday!

Jess (Jess) — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:16:00 +0000

Image via

TGIF! This week kind of flew by for me. I:

-Found out on Monday that I won a $1000 shopping spree at Topshop - amaze, right? Who knew that people actually win these things? Kidding! I actually won to meet Fifth Harmony that same night, but since I confessed that I'm not a huge fan (not that I don't like them, only that I know very little about them, having only watched like one episode of X-Factor when they were on it), they said they'll let someone else meet them and I can just pick up my gift card. Fine by me! Expect to see a lot more Topshop on the blog in the near future - I picked up this bikini, this jumpsuit (which I'm kind of obsessed with), and ordered this dress so far.

-Went on my first Keaton Row national sales call, and discovered I was one of the top stylists for April, and currently am one of the top for May, and the month isn't even over! So exciting!

-Speaking of Keaton Row, my first look (of three) was posted on forbes.com - which is completely thrilling also!

-Am now officially the Resident Stylist at Girl Around Town - check out my bio and headshot on their About page! My first post goes up Wednesday, so I'll be sure to link to it next week! (Have any style questions? Send them my way and your question may be featured on their site!)

This weekend I'm seeing some old friends of mine that I haven't seen in probably years, so I'm really excited for that! What have you got planned for the weekend?

PS. How much do you wish it was hot enough to go to the beach? The image above was taken in Montauk, where I still haven't been yet! This summer I'll make it happen...

You Be Stylin'

Jess (Jess) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:55:00 +0000

So I've mentioned Keaton Row quite a few times on the blog, but have you ever wondered what an actual Lookbook looks like? I created my first public lookbook to be able to share with all of you!

This is the front cover:

And here's a glimpse of the first page:

When you're on the actual page, you can scroll down to see all the item details. And if I've written a comment or tip on a specific item, there's an underlined " mark in the top left corner of that item.

After scrolling through each look, you get to page where you can view every look and every item, and from there you can shop, or write some feedback (ie whether you need more of this or less of that, or anything else). Pretty cool huh?

Check out the full lookbook here so you can see exactly what I'm talking about!

And, I know that a lot of my readers are pretty stylin' already - have you ever thought about signing up to be a stylist? It's so easy, and so fun!

You can sign up to be a stylist, or sign up to be a client (or refer people who would like to be one or the other), by going here and clicking on the appropriate links. If anyone has any questions, let me know in the comments or email me at thejessjournals (at) gmail.com.

Happy Thursday!

Get That Glow

Jess (Jess) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:51:00 +0000

Now that the weather is finally warming up, I've been hyper-aware of how pale I am after this long, longgggg winter. Some of the effects of winter was a dryness I wasn't accustomed to - my skin normally behaves pretty well, but this winter was harsh on my cheeks in particular, and really drying! Here are a few products I've found to help me recapture that summery, warm-weather glow:

Elle has sang the praises of Boscia's Tsubaki Oil (#1) so I gave it a try during Sephora's Chic Week. Not only does it smell amazing, but it really did give me almost an instant glow - for the first time I found that I didn't even really need foundation or anything to make my skin even and pretty. Amaze!

Then, I read about overnight moisturizing masks in Elle magazine (article here, if you're interested), and decided to try Clinique's Moisture Surge Overnight Mask (#2) out. I love it. I use it a few times a week, and my cheeks are never dry the next morning! I wish it came in a travel size so I could bring it on the plane with me, but I would totally just squeeze some into a small container to use on a long flight. (Also, think of it like a heavier lotion rather than a mask - it doesn't make your face look alien-like while you have it on, and it absorbs as you sleep so you don't need to wash it off.)

I know I sang the praises of Smashbox's BB Cream last time, but I realized that I'm really just in between two shades at the moment so I returned the one I had and ended up getting a CoverGirl (#3) one that I love! It's under $10 as well, so it's a great price point, and the light-medium was the perfect shade for me. I don't use this every day, just on days where I feel like wearing a little more makeup than mascara and blush!

After using the above three products (or two, if I chose not to use the BB cream on a particular day), I dust my face with some pressed powder (I use mark.'s Powder Buff in 5 - light medium), use an angled blush brush with my new favorite blush, Jouer's Bloom (#4) on my cheeks (discovered when I had my makeup done at the Joie & Birchbox event last week - I love it because it's matte!), and then brush on some mascara and use a little of my eyebrow pencil, and I'm glowing and out the door!

PS. This isn't related to "glowing" at all, but I recently discovered this eyeliner and it's amazing. Super intense color but in a self-sharpening pencil form. I love it!

Leafy

Jess (Jess) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:55:00 +0000

Sunday was a gorgeous, albeit really windy, day, and after brunch on the Upper West Side we rather spontaneously went to check out Smorgasburg in Dumbo. I was too full to eat anything after brunch, but tried an Arnold Palmer slushie with white peach mixed in. It was delicious!

I fell in love with these leaf-print shorts when I saw them, and the moment I touched them I knew they had to come home with me. They're super soft and light, and will be perfect as the weather heats up!

Checking out the view - pretty amazing huh?

...and just for your amusement, here's a photo of Lauren's boyfriend photobombing us:

How rude.

Finally, did you see the look I styled for Keaton Row on Forbes.com? Keaton Row is now officially a style contributor for the site, and they asked me to style a few looks for them. Check out the first one here!

Photos by Lauren, except the last one, which is by Lawrence.

Happy Friday!

Jess (Jess) — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:18:00 +0000

Image via

Happy Friday!

How was your week? Mine was kinda nuts. I worked at Intermezzo, the accessories & clothing trade show that went on at the piers this week, and it was my first trade show. It was tiring, but cool to see more of the industry and how it all works, which I always love to find out more about!

This weekend a friend from HK will be in town, and I'm going to SELF's Workout in the Park tomorrow, which I've always wanted to attend but never did, so I'm excited!

All right, I'm off to finish up some more projects that need my attention before I go hang out on the rooftop - it'll be bright and warm and sunny today in NYC - take a chance to get outside!

PS. How perfect is the above outfit for a weekend? Slouchy, distressed jeans and an easy relaxed sweater...perfection!

Have a great weekend!

Power Suit

Jess (Jess) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:01:00 +0000

Blazer: mark. | Top: Topshop | Pants: ASOS | Necklace: Chanel | Shoes: Zara

I really love high-waist pants, and don't own enough of them! They are perfect for my body type - it raises my waistline and therefore makes my legs look longer, which I obviously love.

In this particular outfit, the blazer made me feel very slouchy, 80's and early 90s business woman!

Photos by Ruby Chow

Recipe Review: Homemade Pesto & Pesto Chicken Wrap

Jess (Jess) — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:11:00 +0000

I love pesto sauce, probably even more so since I found out I was allergic to tomatoes a couple years ago and therefore have a limit to how much I can eat. (I'm only mildly allergic, luckily!) I'd never made it myself, but when I came across this recipe for a healthier, "skinny" version, I decided to try it! It's surprisingly easy, and tastes so good!

Then, continuing the theme of eating healthily without sacrificing taste or your budget, I'm going to share a recipe for a pesto chicken wrap!

Ingredients for the pesto:

3 cups basil leaves (which is just about 1 pack from Trader's)

1/2 cup raw almonds

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped (I used 2, since I buy most of my ingredients from Traders and their garlic is so tiny!)

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

To make the pesto:

Combine the basil, almonds, garlic and salt in a food processor and pulse until somewhat mealy. (I find it easier to slowly add in the bunches of pesto, stop the food processor, and move it around to get the leaves down, then add more and repeat. Patience is another ingredient necessary for this part!) Gradually add the olive oil, processing until the mixture is finely chopped yet still has texture. Pulse in the lemon juice.

Ingredients for the wrap (makes 4):

4 flour tortillas or wraps 10-inch diameter.

4 tbsp pesto

1/2lb thinly sliced lean deli chicken (don't substitute for turkey - it really doesn't taste as good, trust me!)

1 small Roma tomato

8 crisp Romaine lettuce leaves

Place tortilla on a work surface and spread 1 tablespoon of pesto on it, leaving a 1-inch border. Divide the chicken and tomato among the wraps and then cover with lettuce. (I actually put the chicken on top of the lettuce to keep it in the wraps easier and weigh it down a little.) Fold in the ends and roll them up tightly. (This is the trickiest part, but you can do it!)

PS. The reason I don't have a photo of the end result of the wrap is because I could never wrap it prettily enough. Apparently my skillZ don't extend to that area!

Recipes from Candice Kumai's Pretty Delicious

Oxford Classic

Jess (Jess) — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:12:00 +0000

I love this oxford shirt from Gap so much that I literally have it in 3 colors - white, a brighter, more vivid medium blue, and this light blue. It's so soft and comfortable, like a chambray but even softer! And I love pairing it with fresh, clean white skinny jeans and brown accessories to keep the whole effect light and summery.

Photos by Ruby Chow

Happy Friday!

Jess (Jess) — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:04:00 +0000

Image via

Happy Friday!!

Who can believe it's May already? I certainly cannot, especially since it still isn't quite hot here in the city yet. I'm trying to enjoy it though, as Spring never lasts very long before we dive head first into a hot, humid, and lonnnnnggg summer!

This weekend I don't have a ton of plans, which is something I actually value a lot. I mainly plan on sitting outside this weekend to enjoy the sunshine (just like the girl in the photo above, except I think I'll have to do some work - blog posts, a new, exciting venture I have coming up and hope to announce soon, and of course my styling business!), and see a few friends in between. And on Cinco de Mayo, all I want to do is eat nachos and drink margs. Yum.

Next week my life will finally be a little less crazy - I finished the training for adult literacy last night, which is insane, and ballroom finished the week before. Speaking of ballroom though, I found another Groupon for 3 months of unlimited Latin dancing (and ballet, randomly) and will be starting that up a week from now. I've honestly just fallen right back in love with dancing - it's so fun! If you haven't tried latin/ballroom, I highly suggest trying it if you have any interest at all. I get such a high from it that I don't get from any other form of exercise, even ballet, which I love.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Anything fun planned?

Mini

Jess (Jess) — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:46:00 +0000

It was finally warm enough for a miniskirt this weekend! I normally live in minis in warm weather and was psyched to finally wear one this year. Plus, I love this particular one because it's made of a thick, soft knit material, and hello - look at the colors and print! It was love at first sight.

Photos by Lauren

Present

Jess (Jess) — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:44:00 +0000

Coat: Lilly Pulitzer (similar) | Bag: Alexander Wang | Shoes: Zara (similar) | Sunglasses: Oliver Peoples

There were a few things that attracted me to this particular coat:

1. The collar. It's so...royal!

2. The pink lining - I love little details like that!

3. The A-line - it's practically a dress when worn completely buttoned up like I am here!

4. The material. It's the perfect weight when a trench is too stuffy but it's still somewhat cool out. In other words, it's the perfect spring coat!

5. And last but not the least, the bow. It makes me feel like a present! (Hence the title of this post.) Lol.

Photos by Lauren

Happy Friday!

Jess (Jess) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:55:00 +0000

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Happy Friday! How happy are you that it's nearly the weekend? It's been a pretty busy week for me so I'm so grateful the next two days will be spent focusing solely on...me!

-Highlight of this week: Being chosen as Lucky Magazine's Cute Outfit of the Day on Tuesday! This was the second time (first time was for Wink), and I think I had heart palpitations for half an hour after I found out.Check it out here! (This also earned me the "Editor's Favorite" badge, which you can see to the right on my blog.)
-Duh moment of the week: On Wednesday I brought my camera to work so that Lauren and I could take outfit photos during our lunch break, and then I accidentally left my camera at work. This is why there was no outfit post yesterday. I was kicking myself! And that wasn't the only day I'd forgotten things - I swear my memory is just getting worse all the time. Maybe it's time to start popping the gingko-biloba?
-On Tuesday, Lauren and I went to a Popsugar Fitness event in Soho, which included a 30-minute workout by Anna Kaiser of AKT In Motion. It was the most intense 30 minutes of my life, I swear. Granted, I'm not in tip-top shape by any means since I've mostly only been doing low-impact exercise like ballroom dancing and yoga, but still. My entire body was sore for 2 days after.

This weekend:
-I'm excited it's finally decently warm on a weekend, and I'm hoping it'll be warm enough to hang out on the rooftop!
-I really do intend on spring cleaning my closet - I didn't get around to it last weekend since I was just so tired from all my activities on Saturday. Plus, I just joined Poshmark to make it easy to sell off the things I don't wear anymore (or haven't worn at all), so it's even more of an incentive to just do it! Have you used Poshmark? Or Threadflip? I'd love to hear about your experience if you have, or if you have another recommendation!
-My last ballroom class is tomorrow, sadly! But I really do intend to keep up with it, at least for the social dancing.

What are you up to this weekend, or how was your week?

Recipe Review: Lox Sandwiches

Jess (Jess) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:25:00 +0000

One of the things I've been doing lately is being more mindful of how and where I'm spending my money. One thing that can really add up is eating lunch out every day, especially in NYC. So I was looking for tasty, easy, quick recipes for lunch to bring to work every day, and this recipe is perfect! (It still counts as a recipe even though it's just a sandwich, right?)

The original recipe is to make and serve all 4 sandwiches at once, however I just made the cream cheese and left the leftovers in a small glass bowl, covered it with saran wrap/glad wrap/cling film (whatever you call it) and put it in the fridge.

Ingredients:

4 oz 1/3-less fat Neufchatel cheese (or low fat cream cheese)

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

2 tsps dried chives or 1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh chives

1/2 tsp sea salt

8 slices of bread (pumpernickel in the original recipe, but I used rye)

12 thin slices of smoked salmon

Mix the cream cheese, dill, chives, and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread 1 tbsp on each slice of bread. Lay 3 slices of lox on a slice of bread, cover with another to make a sandwich. Cut in half and serve (or stick one in a sandwich bag and take it to work)!

Overall the recipe was super easy - the hardest part was mixing the cheese, dill and chives until it was smooth, but once done, that was it! (Did you know how fresh and delicious dill smells just on its own? I'd never chopped dill before so it was pleasantly surprising! In fact, Lauren said they should make a perfume out of the scent of dill when I offered her a smell. She's pretty funny.) As a bonus, every morning after making the cream cheese it only took 5 minutes to assemble another sandwich. Done and done.

Original recipe from Candice Kumai's Pretty Delicious

For all Recipe Reviews, click here

Stars & Stripes

Jess (Jess) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:27:00 +0000

Vest: Zara (similar) | Tee: Ann Taylor | Pants: J Brand (similar) | Shoes: Maud Frizon | Necklace: Ann Taylor (similar)

I think I finally found the perfect striped shirt - I'm so in love with this one I'm already thinking that maybe I should get another!

Photos by Lauren

Happy Friday!

Jess (Jess) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:48:00 +0000

Image via

Although I haven't mentioned anything about the awful shootings/bombings that have been happening, I can only say that my heart goes out to those who've been hurt and their families. I feel like my words don't mean a whole lot in these situations, but the victims and their families are in my prayers.

On a much happier note, it finally feels like spring in the city! The temps are warming up and although today isn't sunny, it's warm enough to wear a skirt (my leather one!) and go bare-legged (yes I totally put self-tanner on last night in preparation. I don't want to be blinding anyone!).

This weekend I am:

-going to a Keaton Row happy hour social for the Top 25 - can't wait! I love talking to other KR stylists and comparing our experiences. It's been a really fun experience, and if you haven't tried it, click here to get styled by me (for free), or sign up to be a stylist yourself!

-doing a wardrobe edit first thing - I love getting into people's closets and helping them make the most of what they've got!

-going to ballroom class in the afternoon - I think we're focusing on the tango tomorrow, which I'm super excited about - last week we did the waltz and while that was fun, that isn't as dramatic as the tango. Woo!

-attending my first ballroom dancing social - it should be a good time, as there's a lesson at the beginning, social dancing in the middle, and then performances at the end. I may just get my fill of dancing in one day, although that's unlikely. (I decided after ballroom class on Wednesday night that I should just be a professional ballroom dancer full time. Never mind that I'm way too old to be starting out now. Or I thought I should be a z-list celebrity just so I can be on Dancing With the Stars.)

-hopefully, finally, spring cleaning my own closet! I never seem to have the time to do it and I've been wanting to for about three months now. Fingers crossed!

What are you up to this weekend?

Featured

Jess (Jess) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:43:00 +0000

For something a little different, today I'm featured on Elle's blog, Wonderfelle World! Her blog combines a love of travel & style (two of my favorite topics!) and she is always posting about fabulous destinations, and of course - what to pack for them!

Thanks Elle for featuring me, and make sure to check out the full feature here!

Recipe Review: Hot-Stuff Spinach Artichoke Dip

Jess (Jess) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:42:00 +0000

I love dips. Especially dips with cheese. Lauren and I used to be obsessed with the spinach artichoke dip at California Pizza Kitchen, which was the only place we knew of to get it in Hong Kong at the time. Luckily, I've found a recipe that's easy, and easy on the waistline!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14 oz each) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and thinly sliced

1 bunch fresh spinach or baby spinach (about 5oz), coarsely chopped

8 oz 1/3-less-fat Neufchatel cream cheese (or just light cream cheese is fine), at room temperature

1 cup light mayonnaise*

1/3 cup (about 2ox) grated Parmesan cheese

1 large baguette, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices and toasted

Adjust one oven rack to the upper-middle position and keep one rack at the middle position. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 8" baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is sticky and golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichoke hearts and a few cups of the spinach, turning the mixture over until the spinach leaves wilt. Add the remaining spinach and continue to cook until all the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Stir the cream cheese, mayonnaise* and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan together in a large bowl until creamy. Add the cooled spinach mixture and stir to combine. Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until the Parmesan is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Serve with the toasted baguette slices** and a clear conscience!

Serves 12.

*Confession: I actually totally forgot to buy mayonnaise for this recipe, and ended up just stirring in some unsweetened almond milk to get the right creamy texture. I'm pretty sure that cut the calories even further, and it still tasted great!

**Or tortilla chips

Overall this recipe was super easy. The only major prep was remembering to take the cream cheese out so it wasn't rock hard, and chopping up the artichoke hearts, spinach, and onion. I'm definitely going to be pulling out this recipe next Superbowl!

For a text-only version of the recipe, click here
Recipe from Candice Kumai's Pretty Delicious

For all Recipe Reviews, click here

Flowers in the Park

Jess (Jess) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:47:00 +0000

I am in such a daze, I just credited my sunglasses to "Bryant Park". I never use emoticons in blog posts, but I think that deserves one: -_- My schedule's been crazy what with working, volunteer training twice a week, ballroom twice a week, styling (got a flood of clients after Keaton Row was written about on Forbes.com!) and trying to see friends in between! So forgive me for posting less than normal, but I'm trying to get a hold of my time!

These photos were taken last week on the most beautiful day of the year so far - it was sunny and HOT, and of course I had to have lunch in Bryant Park! It was the perfect weather to break out my favorite new skirt, acquired on my midnight shopping trip with Jackie the weekend prior! It's just perfect for spring, isn't it? I love the watercolor-like effect of the flowers, and the bright colors! Now I just need more warm days to go bare-legged. (I blatantly refuse to wear tights anymore. I just can't.)

Photos by Jenn

All of the Lights

Jess (Jess) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:32:00 +0000

Last weekend Jackie & I met up to catch up over dinner near Times Square, and at first we were bummed because we met too late to catch any good light for photos - until we walked through Times Square close to 11pm and realized it's practically daylight 24/7 at Times Square - perfect for pictures!

It was still pretty cold last weekend so I grabbed the fur to keep me warm, and it was just what I needed! You may know by now that I really love neutrals and versatile pieces, and this is another perfect example of a whole outfit comprised of neutrals, but with some fun accessories to jazz it up a bit. Thanks Jackie for taking the pics!

Check out Jackie's post here!

Recipe Review: Platinum Skinny Mac and Cheese

Jess (Jess) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:34:00 +0000

I love mac and cheese. Since this is the second mac & cheese recipe I've shared on the blog and the third mac & cheese recipe I've ever tried, can you tell? This is another healthy version, and I think it's my favorite out of the three I've tried since it's actually cheesy, without all the fat and calories in standard mac & cheese. Mmm. Looking at the picture below is making me want some now!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
3 cups large elbow macaroni
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup 1/3-less fat Neufchatel cream cheese (or light cream cheese), at room temperature
2 tbsps all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tbsps finely chopped fresh basil leaves*
4 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the macaroni and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Whisk the almond milk with the cream cheese, flour, and garlic powder in a large saucepan (it'll be a little lumpy at first, but the cream cheese will melt into the sauce as it warms up). Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauce is the consistency of a creamy Alfredo sauce, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the broiler to high. Stir the macaroni, 2 tablespoons of the basil, 2 tablespoons of the cheese, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt into the sauce. Divide the mixture amoung four 8-ounce ramekins (or use an 8-inch square baking dish) and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the tops. Broil until the tops are bubbling and browned, 4 to 6 minutes (check the broiler often as heat intensity varies - I checked every 2 minutes). Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve.

*I didn't use any basil since I didn't have any left, but at another time I sprinkled chili flakes on top so it was just a little bit spicy. Yum!

Overall, the recipe was really easy. The hardest part is probably just getting all the lumps out of the cheese sauce, but it really does just melt into the sauce after a while. Make it, you won't regret it!

For a printable recipe, click here
Recipe from Candice Kumai's Pretty Delicious

For all Recipe Reviews, click here

Coral Crush

Jess (Jess) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:31:00 +0000

Jacket: Zara (similar) | Tee: Zoe Karssen (similar) | Necklace: J. Crew (similar, and great price!) | Pants: BDG (similar and on sale) | Boots: Steve Madden

I break these pants out in the spring every year since I've had them - they're such a fun, cheery color, perfect for sunny days that still aren't actually warm yet. I'm also a little obsessed with these booties - they're the perfect neutral color, and I love the gold accent at the back, plus the heel height is perfect - enough to add a little height to my 5'4 frame, but still comfortable enough to run around in them all day. The color and the cut of them make them the perfect transition shoes. (Can you tell I'm a little obsessed?)

In other news - it's finally warm here in NYC! At least for the day that is...is spring finally upon us?

Photos by Lauren

Happy Friday!

Jess (Jess) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:39:00 +0000

Image via

This week I:

-Took my first ballroom dancing class in years. It was a basic class and I was afraid it might be too beginner's level for me, but we learned swing and foxtrot, both of which I'd never learned before (although swing is a derivative of jive, which I'm familiar with), and it was so much fun. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy partner dancing! I had an Amazon Local deal that was going to expire if I didn't use it this month, so I'm glad I finally used it, and am looking forward to my twice a week classes. (Surprisingly, we were almost even for the number of men vs number of women, so that was nice!)

-Started my adult literacy volunteer training. Finally! It was our introductory class but we watched an NBC documentary called "A Loss for Words", and you could truly see these adults struggling to learn to read and write. It was inspiring, and really gave me an idea of what I'm getting myself into. I'm more determined than ever to do my part to help eradicate adult illiteracy, and to break the cycle of illiteracy. For more info or how you can help, click here.

-Attended my first Keaton Row social! It was great to finally meet the co-founders and the other people who help with our styling businesses every day. It was also great to be able to discuss how I'm doing (apparently I'm doing better than I thought I was!) and to just hear other people's experiences. I can't wait to keep styling! To sign up to be a stylist or to get styled by me, click here.

What are you up to this weekend? How was your week?

Work It

Jess (Jess) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:36:00 +0000

This leather skirt is my latest acquisition - and I love it. It's a piece that's versatile enough to wear for day or night, and will never go out of style. I sense my cost-per-wear making this very, very worth it! (And thank you to Ray for working so hard to track one down in my size!)

Photos by Lauren

Recipe Review: Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts

Jess (Jess) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:33:00 +0000

I was never forced to eat brussels sprouts as a kid, so I don't have any horror stories regarding them, but I do remember reading about them in books (anyone remember Baby-Sitter's Little Sister? I'm pretty sure Karen hated brussels sprouts), and had no idea what they were.

Anyway, since I've been on a healthy-eating kick, I wanted to try this recipe for a side dish - it's got dijon (love!), dried apricot (interesting!), and almonds (crunchy!). If you know me you know I like my food to have a lot of different textures. It just makes eating so much more interesting. Ok, enough about me - on to the brussels sprouts!

Vinaigrette:

2 tbsps Dijon mustard

2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsps apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp sea salt

Brussels Sprouts:

1lb Brussels sprouts, julienned

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup julienned dried apricots

To make the vinaigrette:

Whisk together all the ingredients. (Easy!)

To make the brussels sprouts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine the brussels sprouts, almonds, and apricots.

3. Pour the vinaigrette over the brussels sprouts and toss well to combine.

4. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for approximately 55 minutes, or until the leaves of the sprouts are tender and golden brown. *This is where I messed up - and by "messed up", I mean I didn't check on them at all while they were in the oven. I burned the first batch I made, sadly! And after all that julienne-ing. I was devastated. Luckily, the second time around (a week or two later), I pulled them out after 20 minutes and they were well cooked. The lesson here is to check on them!!

Overall, it was a relatively easy recipe to make. Julienne-ing the Brussels sprouts was the most tiring and took the longest, but once that was done it was fine. I'm not sure if I did it correctly, but I just cut each sprout in half, then chopped them face down from the outside in. I figured it would be fine since the leaves tend to fall off anyway, and I was right. I don't think technique here would necessarily affect the recipe!

Also - if you like a heavier vinegar flavor, I'd recommend adding more apple cider vinegar. The apricots were so sweet that I could barely taste the vinegar or Dijon. Next time I make this I'm going to try adding more in!

Makes 4 servings.

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Jumping Jumping

Jess (Jess) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:40:00 +0000

Coat: Zara | Shirt: Gap | Pants: AG Jeans | Shoes: Steve Madden | Necklace: Chanel

Just for fun, Lauren and I thought we'd do a bunch of jumping shots. My hair looks so funny in the second shot, but I thought these were all fun and captured the spirit of what we were trying to accomplish! I was in a pastels kind of mood this weekend since it was Easter, hence all the light colors. Hope you had a good Easter!

Photos by Lauren